Passive construction

[greegorush]

Hello!

1. It is said (alleged, believed, supposed etc.) that
2. He is said to

I've got a few questions about the structures above:

1. Could I leave out that in the 1 case?
2. It is not clear to me what form of a verb we should use:

It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion (is it possible to use have been injured here?)

A friend of mine has been arrested. It is alleged that he hit a policeman (could I say has hit?)

3. Am I right that It is supposed to could be used as alternative to the other possible verbs without changing the meaning?
For an example: It is suppose (instead of reported) that two people were injured; it is supposed (instead of alleged) that he hit a policeman.

Thanks in advance!

[svartnik]

It is said that he is not sad.

This is a complex sentence that is a result of ' He is not sad is said' being cleft into two parts by a well-aimed blow.

'It is said' is the main clause.
What is said? That he is sad. This is the subordinate cluse because it is subordinate in importance to the main clause. Not only is it a subordinate clause but it is also the object of the verb 'said'. Nominal because objects can only be realized by nouns.

It is said... -- we use clefting as a device to give hightened prominence to the postponed NP, which, in our case, expresses what is said.
It is an expletive that fills an obligatory space (subject territory). So it has grammatical function. What it does not have is meaning. It is therefore called an empty subject, grammatical subject, as opposed to the real or deep subject realized by the subordinate clause.

You can drop 'that'.

-------

It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion (is it possible to use have been injured here?) Yes.

A friend of mine has been arrested. It is alleged that he hit a policeman (could I say has hit?) Yes.

-----
It is supposed to be so.
It is supposed that it is so.
It is alleged that it is so.
It is rumoured that it is so.
Rumour has it that it is so.

Broadly speaking, they all mean the same thing.

[Daruma]

It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion.
It would be possible to say "have been" in place of "were," but doesn't it change the meaning of the sentence?

A friend of mine has been arrested. It is alleged that he hit a policeman.
It would be possible to say "has hit" in place of "hit," but doesn't it change the meaning of the sentence?

[greegorush]

Thanks for the detailed answer, Svartnik.

Daruma, check this please.

It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion.
Two people are reported to have been injured in the explosion.

Do you suppose they have the same meaning or not quite? They are given as the examples to the unit. Both should mean that:

They have reported that two peolpe have been injured (or were injured) in the explosion.

So I supposed that I could change were injured in the first sentence into have been injured.

Please, tell me if I'm wrong.

[Daruma]

greegorush,

It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion.
Two people are reported to have been injured in the explosion.

I think these two mean the same thing.

????????????????????????? : ???????????
It is reported that he was injured in the accident last night.
= He is reported to have been injured in the accident last night.

[svartnik]

Yes, they mean the same thing. The focus is on different parts, though.

[Daruma]

Yes, they mean the same thing. The focus is on different parts, though.

Svartnik,

Could you elaborate on your comment -- "The focus is on different parts"?

[greegorush]

Svartnik, could you answer the Daruma's question please?

It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion.It would be possible to say "have been" in place of "were," but doesn't it change the meaning of the sentence?

A friend of mine has been arrested. It is alleged that he hit a policeman.
It would be possible to say "has hit" in place of "hit," but doesn't it change the meaning of the sentence?

Thanks.

[svartnik]

It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion.
Two people are reported to have been injured in the explosion.

The first sentence is the cleaved equivalent of the second sentence.

In the first, the focus is on the word 'reported'.
In the second, however, 'two people' gets the highest prominence.

Mind you, I am a learner too. Take what I say with what, Daruma? Pinch of...

[Daruma]

Pinch of sugar?